Kalashnikov reliability - detailed explanation

[The Heretic]

6 Reasons the AK-47 Is the Most Reliable Rifle in the World: A Guide to Kalashnikov's Magic for Aspiring Gun Designers, Part II - The Firearm Blog

There is more to it than I thought.

I had thought it was mostly the open design of the action, combined with the mass of the bolt carrier/etc., and the magazine design.

But this article goes into a lot more.

That said, while I prefer the Kalashnikov over the Armalite/Stoner design for reasons of reliability and durability, the ergos suck in a number of ways (just like the Glock, which is reliable, but has poor ergos - for me at least).

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